A New Guardian
by sundance-gurl
Summary: Harry didn't count on getting recruited to be a Guardian after the final battle. He'll have to step up and help protect the children of the world from Pitch.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: As much as I love the stories, I don't own HP or The Guardians.

**Prologue**

It was a cool, clear night that October 31st. The half bare trees swayed and creaked with the wind. Fallen leaves were tossed about the ground on the back of the breeze. It was dark with the only light cast by street lamps, porch lights, left over jack-o-lanterns, and the glow from the Moon. The streets were empty, all the children long since finished collecting treats, with the exception of one lone figure in a dark cloak.

The figure moved unhurriedly with an even gate. Had anyone been looking outside as he passed they probably wouldn't have thought much of it. Even his odd manner of dress would have been dismissed that night for a costume. But this man was much more than he appeared and far more dangerous.

He made his way to one particular house in the village of Godric's Hollow. The strange thing is that the house he sought wasn't there. At least, to all but a chosen few – he included, there didn't appear to be anything but a vacant lot. You see the house was hidden by magic. Hidden to protect the young family inside from the very man who visited them that night.

The man was uninvited, unexpected, and most definitely not welcome as he entered the house. Of course, no one should ever expect a warm greeting after breaking in the front door. This man didn't care what his reluctant hosts thought. As a matter of fact, the man enjoyed the reaction his sudden arrival inspired. He always had loved a fight he knew he would win.

The young father was the first of his victories that night. He had to make it a short duel though. He could not afford to have his main target escape. Speaking of which, after defeating the father the man quickly ascended the stairs to the nursery on the second floor. There he confronted the young mother. She didn't put up a fight and instead begged the man to spare her son's life. She may have succeeded had the boy not been the very reason for the man's visit. No, and because she would not move aside she too fell at the hand of the man.

Finally free of any obstacles, the man turned his attention to the baby boy in the crib. Such a pity that so much promise had to be wasted but the man could not risk the possibility that the boy may one day rise against him. So the man turned his wand to the boy to kill him. The boy did not die as the man planned. Instead, the spell somehow rebounded and killed the man who cast it.

What happened? No one will ever be quite sure. No one except the man who hadn't really quite died as he should have, the boy who wouldn't remember until he grew older, and the Man in the Moon who watched silently from above.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or The Guardians.

**Chapter 1**

The night Voldemort had first cast the killing curse at Harry, the Man in the Moon had been watching. It was one of MiM's jobs as a Guardian to chase away the darkness and to protect children from their fears. That had been what originally drew MiM's attention to the Potter house that night. He had felt Harry's fear for his parents and his fear of the dark wizard who haunted him. There was nothing MiM could do but watch. No matter how evil, Voldemort was a human and Guardians could not interfere in the affairs of humans. It didn't happen often. Usually human affairs made the most impact on adults and between the protection of their parents and the Guardians children were shielded from the worst of the world. The Guardians take their jobs seriously though. Just because MiM hadn't been able to step in directly that didn't mean he would abandon Harry to the darkness.

MiM had not liked the dark man's intentions that night. As an immortal, magical entity, MiM was aware of the prophecy that influenced the dark wizard's actions. He knew that the dark wizard hadn't really died. He also knew that at that moment when the spell rebounded, the little boy's fate had been tied together with that of the dark wizard. Harry Potter had been touched by Destiny. MiM recognized the sign when he saw it. Destiny had been telling him that her newly chosen would one day become a Guardian of Childhood and it was MiM's responsibility to protect Harry until he was ready to assume his role.

After the dark wizard had been defeated and after the dust had cleared, Harry had been taken to an old wizard on an empty street in Surrey. Bundled up in a blanket and basket he was left on the doorstep to his relatives' house. In the quietness of the night, MiM got to work. There had only been a little he could do at that time since Harry had been so young but MiM was a clever one. He bestowed Harry with a boost to his magical core. This was a trick that he had thought up after his creation of Jack Frost. Instead of waiting for Harry to grow up more to handle his full powers, MiM planted a seed of power within the magic Harry already possessed. That way it would grow slowly as the boy grew and could be discovered and learned in small increments. It also would allow Harry to remain mostly human until he finally defeated Voldemort once and for all. As MiM worked, Harry had slept the whole night though.

MiM had watched as Harry grew up under the care of his relatives. As much as MiM had disliked the dark wizard, he disliked Harry's relatives more. Voldemort had acknowledged his evil, embraced it, and everyone had known of it. The Dursleys' had no excuse for the way they treated Harry and hid behind their pretend 'normalcy'. Not only had his aunt and uncle denied him the love and support of a family, they had gone one step further in trying to deliberately crush Harry's childhood innocence. No, MiM definitely did not like them.

MiM called on every Guardian to watch over Harry and undermine the Dursleys. Of the four, only two had been successful. Despite North and Bunny leaving presents and eggs for Harry every year, the Dursleys managed to give all of them to Dudley. The sad part was that Harry had still believed in Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny but he didn't believe that he was worthy of their attention. Only Sandman and Tooth were able to reach Harry without interference.

Harry's first Christmas at the Dursleys had actually been the only nice one he had experience in that house. It had only been a few months since he was found on the doorstep and so far his family was cordial with him. He had gotten a soft comfy blanket from his uncle, a small stuffed bear from his aunt, and a chocolate from Dudley. At this point, Harry had been quiet and kept to himself and most importantly he hadn't done any magic. As long as they thought he had a chance of turning out normal they enjoyed his presence. MiM had not need to call on North for help yet so the toys left for the two boys had been things they both liked: Harry liked the blocks and the colouring book best of all, while Dudley had gone on the rest of the day making a loud racket on the toy drum he received. By the time the next Christmas came around, Harry was no longer welcome to join the family. As it was, he had only managed to save the stuffed bear and the colouring book before his aunt had taken the rest of his toys away every time he had done something wrong. If Harry had known then that he would be banished from Christmas time by the Dursleys he would have savoured that day much more than he had.

Harry's first Easter hadn't gone as nicely as Christmas. It possibly would have been had his aunt not caught him doing accidental magic. It had only been a few small instances: floating a crayon from the floor up to where he was colouring at the table, levitating himself up to the height of the kitchen counter to grab cookies for him and Dudley, or having his hair grow out over night. By the time Easter had arrived, Harry had been sleeping in his cupboard for a week. Unfortunately for the Dursleys, Harry had been still too young to leave at home by himself so they had taken him along with them to the neighbourhood Easter egg hunt in the park. Of course he wasn't allowed to actually participate in the egg hunt. His aunt had him stay seated on the bench beside her while they watched Uncle Vernon take Dudley around for eggs. Bunny had been madder than a cut snake as he watched on from the bushes. He hadn't been about to give up though. Before the Dursleys returned home he had place one specially painted egg in the corner shelf of Harry's cupboard. Later watching with a triumphant smirk at Harry's joy in finding the egg, his victory had been short lived as Dudley had caught Harry with the egg. Bunny could only watch in fury as Dudley quickly stole the egg for his own then got Harry in trouble by tattling to his father. He had been so close. Bunny had seen Harry's reaction before his cousin had come along. The boy believed. Bunny would have to be craftier to get eggs to Harry for the rest of his Easters at the Dursleys.

Sandy visited Harry personally as often as possible, especially after the first night he was put in the cupboard as punishment for displaying accidental magic in front of his aunt. He frequently chose Harry's happiest memory to base his good dreams on. In all his many years as a Guardian, Sandy had seen many different dreams created by children. Of all of them, Sandy liked this dream almost as much as Harry. It had a giant and a flying motorcycle in it. What's more, it was happy enough that Harry could recall the dream during the daytime and it provided a bit of comfort for him that way.

It was only due to luck in timing that Harry learned about the Tooth Fairy. A few months before Harry had lost his first tooth, his cousin Dudley had lost his after falling during a game of Harry Hunting. Harry had gotten pinned with the blame for that one. As he sat huddled on his small cot in his cupboard, Harry had heard his Uncle Vernon tell Dudley that if he put his tooth under his pillow then the Tooth Fairy would exchange it for a gift. Harry had actually smiled at the idea. It was a little strange to the 5 year old to think that his aunt and uncle were so adamant that there was no such thing as magic but somebody like the Tooth Fairy could exist. Nevertheless, when Harry lost his first tooth after being hit by Dudley he had put the tooth under his pillow and gone to sleep with a small bit of hope and a fat lip. The following morning, it was to his immense surprise to find a 50 pence piece when he woke up. Tooth and her baby fairies were able to store Harry's teeth and preserve his memories. More than that, finding a coin or a treat under his pillow after losing a tooth had been tangible evidence to Harry that someone knew where he was, knew that he existed, and was kind to him no matter what he had done.

While the Guardians did their best to keep Harry's belief in them alive, the power inside his magical core slowly grew. Though he didn't realize it, Harry's bouts of accidental magic were more focused and more controlled than any other wizard boy his age. Naturally, it would have been the hostile environment in which he lived that encouraged more accidents than he would have if kept safe but the power came from that bit gained from MiM. As Harry experience more bursts of magic, the incidents became more challenging and required more power: from the small levitation of objects to growing out his own hair, to changing his teacher's hair blue, to apparating to the top of the school roof, to freeing the boa constrictor at the zoo. Harry never realized it but the strength of these events had a lot to do with MiM's gift. Even though he was punished after every incident by his aunt and uncle, these strange occurrences gave Harry the one thing the Guardians could not – a subconscious belief in magic. So the day he received a strange letter addressed to his cupboard, he didn't need much to convince him of its validity.

It wasn't until Harry was at Hogwarts that North and Bunny could help restore his belief in them. His first Christmas in the castle, North had hidden himself outside the window just to watch Harry's joy as he muttered in disbelief "presents? I have presents?". On that first Easter, since Harry had by then been practicing with the quidditch team, Bunny left him and his friends a trail of eggs to find that eventually led Ron and Harry to flying to the tops of the castle towers on their brooms while Hermione watched anxiously from the ground. A tradition had been started and none to soon.

Beginning after Harry finished his forth year and survived the Triwizard Tournament, Sandy started losing his connection to Harry. Those first three years after discovering the Wizarding World had provided Sandy with so many happy memories to inspire Harry's dreams. Things changed after meeting Voldemort again and seeing the death of a friend. That was when Harry started having nightmares. Every night, Sandy had to try harder and harder to give Harry good dreams. Eventually Sandy couldn't beat any of the nightmares back. Once Harry started fighting sleep to avoid the nightmares, Sandy lost his powers to guard him.

It was when Harry was in his six year that the Guardians all had to step back. Sandy hadn't been able to reach Harry at all since he returned to Hogwarts. Tooth had also lost her connection to Harry since he had lost all his baby teeth by then. North and Bunny continued leaving presents and eggs but could feel the change in the wind. Harry didn't really need them any more. The power that MiM gifted him and the fate Destiny had chosen for him had merged. By the end of fifth year, when Harry learned of the prophecy and accepted that it would be up to him to finish off Voldemort he had inherited his role as Guardian of the Wizarding World. Dumbledore had been off the mark when he suggested that 'the power the dark lord knew not' was Harry's mother's love. Harry's strength, though he didn't realize it, waxed and waned with the belief the people of the Wizarding World had in him. Even when his world was darkest, Harry still had the belief of his friends to hold him together. So with his wand in one hand and the stone in the other, Harry bravely marched out to the Forbidden Forest to face Voldemort.

**A/N:** I'm not usually this quick at updates. It's only because this chapter was already half written when I posted the prologue that it's out so soon. I suppose I could have waited and posted them both together but I was just so excited to get the story out.

~*~ Sundance-gurl


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or RotG

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** I changed the title of this fic from _The Guardian of Magic_ to _A New Guardian._ When I started writing this story, I was torn between these two titles. Now that I've gotten farther along in the story I feel that _A New Guardian _is a better fit. I'm sorry if this caused any confusion. Just trust me, after you read the next couple of chapters you'll understand my need to change it.

**Chapter 3**

Harry had to admit, he was a bit confused. When he walked into Voldemort's camp in the Forbidden Forest he was fully prepared to die. He trusted Neville to make sure Nagini was killed and he believed in his friends to finish off Voldemort in his stead. He had accepted his death. After the short reunion with his family using the Resurrection Stone, he wanted to finally join them in the afterlife. So why was he in King's Cross train station? And what was Professor Dumbledore doing here? Harry was so focused on questioning the Headmaster and the Headmaster was only concerned about advising Harry that neither noticed the silent presence of the Man in the Moon.

MiM didn't watch or listen in on the two in the train station. He had no need. He had watched Harry Potter, as he watched all children, since the day he had been born. No, right now he had more important things to do. Curse Destiny for setting him up in this mess. MiM could just picture the smug look on Destiny's face as she laughed at him. Every now and then she got in a horribly annoying teasing mood. Usually MiM tried to avoid her when she got like that but this was too important.

The realm this train station was situated in was the in-between, the no-man's-land, separating Life and Hereafter. It was where souls went when they died but before they completely passed over. The period in which a soul can reside here can be as short as the time it takes them to board a train to as long as what equates to years in the Land of the Living. Sometimes, a soul can be revived from this realm and return to the Living. Other times a soul can do nothing but wait until it's time for them to depart. It's from here that the Resurrection Stone projects souls into the Land of the Living. There can also be some instances, as is the case between Harry and Dumbledore, where one who has fully departed may visit a soul.

It was in this realm that MiM had collected Jack Frost to make him the Spirit of Winter. MiM had prepared himself to collect Harry here as well, whether Harry was killed at the hands of the Dark Lord or if he had dropped into unconsciousness after his victory. The irritation MiM felt towards Destiny was this meeting between Harry and Dumbledore. He could not take Harry until the conversation with Dumbledore was over. That left MiM with only a small window of opportunity between the time Harry stepped onto a train and the time when the train leaves the station. If he missed that window, if the train leaves before he can collect Harry, then MiM will not be able to retrieve him.

MiM paused momentarily to see if Harry and Dumbledore were still talking. It only took less than a second, similar to checking the time on a wristwatch. They were discussing Harry's choices, whether he would go back or go on. MiM cursed under his breath. His time was up and he hadn't finished. He followed the conversation with baited breath as Harry made up his mind… and sighed with relief and wiped his brow when Harry chose to return to the Land of the Living.

That had been close. If pressured to take Harry prematurely, MiM could have made do with what he had accomplished so far. Now he had the time to iron out the details. Until the fall of the Dark Lord, Harry would remain Destiny's guardian. Once the prophecy was fulfilled, he would become a Guardian of Childhood.

As Hagrid carried Harry's body out of the forest and across the grounds of Hogwarts, a wave of despair radiated out to all the magical people in the Wizarding World. The witches and wizards on the grounds and in the castle felt it like a cold shiver down their spines. Those strong enough to resist the loss of hope worked diligently to restore faith in the others. The creatures in the Forbidden Forest and in the lake paused as if they sensed a predator in their midst. Throughout the Wizarding World, witches and wizards quickly going about their days, the goblins in their bank, the house elves in their masters' homes all stopped as they felt the despair press against them.

Although still alive in Hagrid's arms, Harry began to feel horribly tired. Not the usual sleepy tired that lulls you to your bed. Harry felt the bone deep wariness that comes with burnout, the kind that just makes you want to lie down forever and never get up. 'It will be over soon. I just have to beat him and then I'll be done.' Harry thought to himself. It wasn't as motivating as he wished.

As Harry faced off with Voldemort in the Great Hall there was a moment just before they cast their spells when Harry felt his magic swell up inside of him. It was more than the exhilaration from outwitting the Dark Lord. At that moment, the children in the Wizarding World were all whispering in their dreams 'Harry Potter will save me. I know he will. I believe in him.'

When the spells were cast and Harry finally defeated Voldemort, the energy he had felt inside drained away like water in a bathtub and with it went whatever strength the adrenaline had been keeping him from collapsing in exhaustion. As everyone in the Great Hall crowded around him to congratulate and celebrate everything finally being over, Harry had a desperate need to get away. He could have kissed Luna with gratitude for her distraction that allowed him to slip beneath his invisibility cloak.

Harry was done. Now all he wanted was to rest. He didn't want to be bothered by those that had survived the Battle of Hogwarts, or by the press that he knew would be in his face once everything settled down, and he especially didn't want to deal with the raw emotions of his friends or the Wesley's. He just needed to be alone for a moment. That's all he wanted was a few hours to try and get some sleep and process everything before he had to go face the world he had saved.

After explaining everything to Ron and Hermione, they parted ways in the hallway outside the Headmaster's office. Harry made his was through the deserted corridors. Evidence of the battle was littered everywhere: stone rubble, portrait frames askew and damaged, signs of spell fire, traces of blood here and there, and the occasional body that had yet to be taken down to the Entrance Hall. He had been planning on going up to his dorm and passing out in his four-poster bed but he dreaded the thought of people being able to find him so easily. So instead of turning down the corridor that would lead him to the portrait of the fat lady, he continued straight down the hallway.

He wished for a second that he had the Marauder's Map in his pocket. If he could see where people were then he would know which spots to avoid. The sun had fully risen now and shined through the windows along the corridor. Maybe the Room of Requirement was still functioning despite the _Fiendfyre_ Crabbe had cast. Even if the room was accessible there were still two problems that Harry could see, the first being that there was no way to secure the it from people coming through the back entrance or through the tunnel from the Hog's Head and the second was that it was all the way on the other side of the castle.

As these thoughts fluttered through his brain, Harry came upon a the shadowed entrance to a staircase that he hadn't noticed in all his seven years in Hogwarts. His thoughts were so fuzzy that Harry really could not recall if he'd ever even been down this part of the corridor before. How had that happened? He hadn't turned off the main corridor and it was right down from the common room. The main route was usually the one he'd just come from, the direct route between Gryffindor Tower and the Great Hall and most of the classrooms. Harry shrugged. He was too tired to keep up that trivial line of thought and this placed seemed as good as any.

Harry turned and made his way to the stairway and started climbing. Out of habit, he counted as he went: 1, 2, 3, 4… 37, 38, 39… 63, 64, 65, 66. It was around this time that Harry regretted choosing to come up this tower but he really didn't want to go back down 66 steps and spend who knows how much time trying to find another spot. Was this the 107th step or the 108th? Just as Harry was about to start again from 1, his head collided painfully with a trap door. Bloody hell, now he had a concussion to add to his list of injuries. He groaned loudly at the thought of having to set an alarm to wake him every hour. How counterproductive to the whole resting plan.

Lifting the trap door and giving a mighty push to loosen the rusty hinges, Harry was slightly surprised and very relieved to find that it opened into the centre of a circular shaped room that looked to have been used as a living area and study. With the exception of all the dust and cobwebs the room looked ready to be lived in. Almost like the common room, there were comfortable looking chairs and couches circled around a fireplace on one side of the room. The other half was occupied with a good-sized office desk facing the room with bookshelves on the wall behind it and a brass telescope to one side. Looking up, he thought for a moment that the ceiling was gone. On closer inspection, Harry found that it was enchanted similarly to the Great Hall. The only difference that he could tell was that the morning sky was dulled as if being filtered though a huge lens of pair of sunglasses. Good thing too because Harry wanted to be able to sleep. Although at this point he was so tired he doubted that even having the sun shining directly into his eyes would stop him from falling asleep.

Making a final turn to look behind him he found himself standing before a day bed. Harry stubble frantically towards it as a man dying of thirst would race towards water. He tripped over his own feet in exhaustion and landed on his knees beside the bed with his head and shoulders resting on the mattress. He wasn't praying despite the pose he was in but at that moment he sent out a silent thank you to anyone who was listening and dragged himself fully onto the bed. He ignored the cloud of dust that bloomed up from underneath him. He was too tired to bother with cleaning spells and he was filthy any way. Rolling onto his back, he only paused long enough to take off his glasses before he fell deeply to sleep.

Being midmorning by that time, MiM didn't have the full strength of his power. Instead of rushing to collect, MiM waited until the sun had set before he met Harry in the in-between realm. The time had come for Harry's transition.

**A/N:** This chapter took longer to write than I thought. I had to reread HP and the Deathly Hallows to make sure I had the facts straight. Then I figured everyone should now it already so why spend a lot of time repeating things unless I wanted to shed a different light on things. I kept it short just so you wouldn't be kept waiting so long. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed to my story. It's been a few years since I've written anything so when I first posted this story it was something I did for myself. I honestly did not expect such a positive response and the reviews I've gotten so far have been fantastic. So I'm going to give you some teasers and answer some of the questions posted in your reviews.

Yes, Jack will make an appearance but this story is Harry centric so you're going to have to wait a bit. Never fear, once he enters for his first scene he will be a prominent character for the rest of the fic. I love him too ;-)

And yes, Harry will meet the Guardians.

If I haven't answered your question it's because I don't want to commit to anything and I also don't want to ruin the surprise. Just keep reading to find out.

~*~ Sundance-gurl


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: HP and RotG aren't mine.

**Chapter 4**

Mm, Harry felt positively lethargic. He couldn't think of any time in his life when he was this warm and cozy. Unfortunately, with these thoughts came the slow awareness of impending consciousness. He didn't want to wake up from this peacefully feeling yet. The more he tried to fight it the faster it happened. Harry felt as if he was trying to swim through honey from the bottom of the jar. He didn't feel any urgency like he would if he was drowning but he was anticipating breaking the surface.

He woke up to find himself lying flat on his back, blanketed by a thick mist. Harry stood up and looked around. Nothing, he could hardly see his feet on the ground. Looking down at himself, he was wearing everything he had worn when he fell asleep. The same jeans and long sleeve green t-shirt and sneakers. They are exactly as he remembered, except cleaner and they look like he bought them brand new. He could feel the moleskin poach around his neck. He reached to check what was in his back right pocket and discovered his holly wand. He had been so relieved when the Elder Wand had been able to repair it. He had always felt a strong connection with it and it was not just the magical compatibility. Harry was more sentimentally attached to his wand than he was to his Firebolt. He'd been glad to pass over the Elder Wand to Hermione to return to Dumbledore's tomb.

Returning his wand to his back pocket, Harry felt the silky, watery texture of the cloak he wore. With a start he realized it was his invisibility cloak. It was fastened at the neck but thrown over his shoulders like a cape. He'd never tried wearing it in this fashion before. He'd always put it on as he would his black school robe whenever he didn't want to be seen. He'd just assumed it would always make him invisible no matter how he wore it. Not that it mattered because he wouldn't have changed they way he used it, he still would have wanted to keep it a secret.

As Harry familiarized himself with his person, the mist had slowly cleared to reveal the high arched ceiling and large windows of King's Cross Station.

"I know this place," Harry murmured to himself, looking around.

"Yes, you were here once before. This is the in-between realm – not alive but not dead. I believe the humans call it 'Limbo'," a voice answered. Harry spun around in a circle looking for who had spoken.

"Why am I here?" Harry asked the voice, still scanning his surrounding for where it originated.

"I have let you rest as long as I can."

"What do you mean?" Harry tried, hoping for a straight answer.

"You have slept for what would equal 15 years in human time. That is all I can allow you."

"15 years!" Harry exclaimed. "But what about my friends? What happened after I defeated Voldemort?" Harry was shocked. Sure he had been tired but to sleep for 15 years?

"Do not be concerned. They have lived well."

"So does this mean I'm dead?" Harry asked, thinking of his desire to be reunited with his family in the Hereafter. If Life was not an option, then he wanted to be with them as he had when he faced his death in the forest.

"No, you will not pass on. As you were once the guardian of the Wizarding World now I invite you to be a Guardian of Childhood. However, I know that by choosing you for this path I will be denying you your first wishes. That is why I have arranged a small window through which you will be able to experience them," answered the voice.

Harry watched as the mist enveloped King's Cross. He turned in place waiting anxiously. This had happened last time just before he woke up in the Land of the Living. Harry waited… and waited. Finally a large translucent sphere drifted in front of him at eye level. It looked like an air bubble you would see underwater. At first Harry only saw his reflection on its surface. He looked like he hadn't aged a day since he went to sleep in the tower. He hadn't even grown stubble on his chin. His scar was faded to a white line that, while less noticeable, was still visible if one was looking closely. Even his hair was in the same wild state as it had been his whole life. His glasses were gone though. They weren't on his face and yet Harry could see as clearly as if he was wearing them. Better in fact since it had been impossible to keep the lenses clean in the last year. Well, Harry thought, in the last year he spent with the Living. He noticed that without them he looked much younger and the colour of his eyes was even more vivid. Strange what a simple change could have. Harry doubted even his best friends would have recognized him like this at first glance.

Just as Harry began to lift his left hand to run through his hair in an attempt to tame it, an image appeared within the sphere. It was slow to come into focus but when the image finally settled he was looking at a three dimensional image of a mother standing in the bedroom doorway of her four children as they slept. Her husband's arm was wrapped around her. The image brought tears to Harry's eyes. It seems Ron had plucked up the courage to ask Hermione to marry him. Looking at the ages of their children, Harry had to guess that the wedding hadn't been too long after the end of the war. He wished he could have been there. Harry noticed that underneath their happiness there was the lingering pain of loss. They wished he could have been there with them as well. Harry wondered what jobs they had pursued. Had Ron gone on without him to become an Auror? Had Hermione chosen to go into the Ministry to try and change the injustice of the system or had she gone into private research and then to teach at Hogwarts? He had missed so much.

As the questions about their lives raced through his head, the image in the sphere responded by flicking through different scenes. Ron worked with George in the shop? After all the stories Ron had told him of his childhood, Harry would have thought that working in the shop would have been Ron's last choice. Maybe it had something to do with losing Fred. The image changed again and this time he saw Hermione standing before what looked like the full body of the Wizengamot. Despite the maturity he could see in her face, he recognized that expression from all the years of adventures they had shared. It was the "I'm right so you better listen to me unless you want to end up dead or worse" expression. The sphere didn't provide accompanying sound to the image it projected but Harry didn't need to hear what she or the rest of the members had to say to know that Hermione had probably gotten her way on whatever issue their were debating. It was good to know that after all the sacrifices he and others had made, all the opinions he had changed during the fight against Voldemort, and all the good relations he had fostered with different races of magical creatures that someone was working to make sure that that wasn't forgotten and the mistakes of the past were not repeated.

The image faded out completely and remained blank for a second before a new image began to materialize. This time the image showed Neville working on a small potted plant at a bench in a greenhouse. He moved calmly but with confidence as he repotted the flowering plant. His face was a picture of concentration at the moment but once the transplant was finished his face relaxed into one of peaceful contentment. Harry always knew Neville could be like this. He had seen flashes of it in the early years of Hogwarts. His inner strength and confidence had fully bloomed by the final battle and Harry was never more proud of his friend then when he stood up to Voldemort thinking Harry was dead. In the image, Neville turned around as though someone had called his name. As Harry watched, a woman with long blond hair skipped into view and gave Neville a quick kiss on the lips before taking his hand, resting her head on his shoulder, and leading him out of Harry's sight. Luna and Neville? Harry had to admit he wasn't expecting that but he was happy for them, as it was obvious that their love for one another was genuine.

He wondered what Luna was doing with her life. Although she was clearly happy with Neville, Harry couldn't picture her as a housewife. Had she taken over from her father as editor of _The Quibbler_? The image changed in response to his musings. The image that materialized was a bit confusing at first glance. It looked like he was standing in the children's section of Flourish and Blotts. Looking at the shelves in front of him, a wide grin spread across his face as he read some of the titles on the bottom two shelves. Those two shelves were dedicated to the works of one author and featured titles such as _The Tale of the Incorrigible Crumpled-Horned Snorkack, A Nargle Christmas, _and _Mortimer's Wrackspurts._ Luna had used all the creatures she had believed in as the inspiration for children's stories and from what he could tell was quite successful with it.

The image again blacked out. This would be the last one, Harry knew. There was only one more person to see. This one showed a red headed woman sitting on a couch next to a man. They were watching a football match on a muggle television with two identical looking little girls sitting on the floor in front of them eating popcorn from a large bowl. That was Ginny, all grown up with two twin girls. She looked happier than Harry had seen her since before the war. The stress lines around her eyes were gone, replaced by age and laugh lines. Looking at the man sitting next to her, Harry recognized his old roommate Dean. Dean looked like he had just worked a long day but under the tiredness, Harry could see the same happiness in his eyes as Ginny had in hers. The family was engaged in the game and stood up in unison to shout at the TV screen. Must be a fowl against their team if the outrage on Dean's face is anything to go by. Harry imagined that if Quidditch was televised that the family would be even more engaged with the match. He could only smile at the image. He was happy for them. If he was entirely truthful, Harry doubted that he would have been able to give this to Ginny had he lived and had they gotten back together. He was glad she had moved on.

The image dissipated and the sphere dissolved leaving Harry alone in the mist with his thoughts. He needed a moment to collect himself. His emotions were still raw and he hadn't had the time to process everything. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to centre himself. He could accept and appreciate the lives his friends had gone on to live without him. The part he was having trouble adjusting to was that he had missed being there to experience it with them. Getting to see snapshots of what had become of them could never be as satisfying as being included in those moments. He didn't get to see the transition his friends went though from wartime to peacetime. He wasn't there to reassure Ron that Hermione would say "yes" when he asked her to marry him; he had missed Hermione and Ginny being moms; he had missed all the life moments of their children. The list was endless. Perhaps it had been a good thing that he hadn't had the foresight to consider these things when he was walking out to meet Voldemort in the forest. Otherwise, he might not have been able to summon the courage to do what he had done. Now he was giving himself a headache thinking of all the possible alternative outcomes to the war if he chosen a different path. He took another deep breath.

Harry could see why the voice had shown him those glimpses. Besides satisfying his need to ensure his friends' wellbeing, the voice had used the images to subtly tell him that his friends had come to terms with his disappearance/death. Even if he wanted to, he could not rejoin them. He had to move on as well.

As he came to accept that realization, the mist around Harry began to clear away. Harry prepared himself for whatever would come next. He knew better this time not to expect to wake up and find himself back in the Land of the Living. Something else was happening. As he scanned his surroundings, he thought back to his conversation with the disembodied voice. The voice had been responsible for the appearance of the image sphere. When he had first awoken in this place and again just before the sphere appeared his greatest wish was to return to his life and his friends. That meant that whatever was happening now would have something to do with granting Harry something he truly desired. There was only one other thing Harry could think of that fit that criteria. If it wasn't his friends then it was his family.

Just as Harry came to that conclusion the mist finally cleared and there they were. The one thing Harry had wanted most in his entire life as far back as he could remember. The second-hand stories and short ethereal visits over the years since he entered the Wizarding World had done little to ease the loneliness he felt. There had been times when they had actually had the opposite effect. It was what he imagined an addiction to be like. In the first years of Hogwarts, before he had really comprehended his responsibilities, it had been the worst. He had recognized his cravings after his experience with the Mirror of Erised. If Dumbledore hadn't found him, hadn't intervened, Harry would have wasted away staring into the mirror. After that he had tried his hardest to be strong and be independent but every time he had heard stories or seen a vision it had been like satisfying a fix and going through the subsequent crash when their continued presence was denied.

They looked just as they had the night he had summoned them with the Resurrection Stone. Except that instead of looking like insubstantial figures here they looked completely solid, almost as if he could reach out and touch them. As if reading his mind, his mother came forward and pulled him into a hug. For a moment Harry was stunned. Then he brought his arms up to wrap around her and buried his face in her shoulder. He had not intended to but Harry couldn't hold back the tears. He cried silently in his mother's arms as he had wanted to every time he felt insecure growing up. This was so much better then he had ever imagined. His mother's hug was firm and comforting, nothing like the smothering hold of Mrs. Wesley.

It wasn't long before Harry felt a body on his right and left. He peeked up from his mother's shoulder to see his father and Sirius on either side of him with either arm around him and his mother. They stood in that group embrace for what seemed like forever. Harry lost all conceptions of time. He just basked in the love and security of their arms.

As they parted, Harry shrank into himself as his insecurities resurfaced. He was so happy that he was with his parents that it all of a sudden occurred to him that he might have done something in his life that they would be ashamed of. Even if in a corner of his mind he knew the ridiculousness of this, he was the little boy in the cupboard under the stairs desperate for his family to want him and every day being reminded that they did not. What if his parents hated him for something he did the same way the Dursleys had hated him for performing magic?

"Oh Honey. Nothing you have ever done, nor anything you could ever do, will ever make us hate you." Lily calmly explained as she sensed Harry's thoughts and feelings. She placed her hand on Harry's cheek to ease his troubles. "The life you lived was not the one we wanted for you. In the ideal world, we wished you a life of peace, happiness, joy."

"And pranks and tricks," Sirius added. Lily rolled her eyes at his antics, but the smile on her face betrayed her affection.

"That's right son. We couldn't be more proud of you and the choices you made but I would have much preferred to have worried for you over your Quidditch games, or girls, or even how well you were doing in your classes than for your life," James remarked.

"But there are things I have done... It was my fault that you all died," Harry stammered.

"No!" Lily vehemently denied. "It was not your fault. We were the adults. We did what we had to because we wanted you to live. We love you, Harry. We will always love you."

"But the choices I made…" Harry insisted only to be interrupted by his father.

"… were the best ones at the time considering the facts you had and the stresses you were under. No one can fault you for trying your best."

"It's not like we would have been able to change your mind if we were there any way. Once you get an idea in that thick head of yours there is no talking you out of it," Sirius added with a smile, letting Harry know that he was half teasing.

"Yeah, I know. Hermione never had any success with that," Harry said sheepishly, but in much better spirits.

Their conversation lightened after that as his parents told their stories with the occasional input from Sirius. They laughed, they cried, and from these stories he finally got to know his parents as the people they truly were, both their good and bad aspects, and he loved them all the more. In return he was able to share everything he'd ever wanted to tell them and ask them whatever he wanted. Most of his questions and thoughts were ones that held more importance when he'd experienced them in the moment but it was comforting to still hear their reassurances after the fact. Finally their time came to a close and the mist engulfed his mother, father, and Sirius.

"Thank you." Harry felt the words were inadequate to express the depth of his gratitude. He didn't need to elaborate. MiM understood the detailed emotions behind the simply words.

Harry cleared his throat. "I accept your offer. I want to become a Guardian", he said to change the subject. Talking with his parents had really helped to settle his emotions. He'd always recognized his fierceness to protect people, or as Hermione called it his "saving people" thing. That was something that had developed before he knew who he was, a personality trait he attributed to Just Harry. It was this part of him that accepted the idea of becoming a Guardian. Even though he really didn't have a choice in the matter, MiM was gracious for his agreement. Things will go more smoothly for the both of them with Harry's cooperation.

And so MiM taught him everything he could. About the Guardians and how to use his magic to the fullest. When he had nothing else to teach him, he returned Harry to the Living world. Not to the abandoned tower but to the place where he was needed most by the children that his was to protect.

In parting he whispered to Harry, "Good luck, Just Harry. I wish you well."

**A/N:** Thank you all for your patients. I know this style, creating a backstory first, is slow getting into the main story. This chapter was the last of Harry's set up story. There may be the odd flashback later in the story to explain Harry's knowledge and abilities but for now we're going to get into the good stuff. Enter the Guardians and let the adventure begin! Just so you know, I only have a rough idea of where I want to go with this story. I have a bunch of pieces that I want to include and ideas for the grand finale. I'm telling you this to prepare you for the possibility of having to wait longer for updates.

Thanks again for your feedback. As I mention before, I started writing this story because I had already read the other HP/RotG x-overs and wanted something different. It hadn't occurred to me until after I posted my first chapter that other people wanted the same. Hearing what you have to say makes writing this story even more enjoyable for me and is a great motivator to continue writing. Keep it coming! I really want to know what you think. Ask me questions - I'll do my best to address all of them. Feel free to offer suggestions for the story - I may use it or I may not. Also, don't be afraid to let me know if I've made mistakes or if you think the story should have gone in a different direction. Is there anything I can change to the style to make it easier to read (like indications when there's a change in time or scene)? I'm open for constructive criticism.

Cheers

~*~ Sundance-gurl


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or RotG.

YOU ASKED FOR IT SO HERE IT IS. BROUGHT TO YOU BY POPULAR DEMAND (and by the plot), **JACK FROST** LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

**Chapter 5**

Jack Frost sighed as he overlooked the town in the valley below. He sat on the branch of a tree, his staff held loosely in his right hand. It had been about half a century since he accepted the mantle of a Guardian. He had felt like he finally belonged. Things had gone back to the way they had been before the battle against Pitch. North had gone back to the Pole, Bunny was back with his eggs in the Warren, Tooth and her fairies were back to collecting teeth, and Sandy was back to doing what he did best.

Right after everything with Pitch was over, he really thought his life had changed. It was so much more fun to play with the kids now that they could see him. When he wasn't causing mischief and chaos, he had visited the other Guardians. He and Sandy were good friends and Jack always enjoyed watching the dreams Sandy made with his sand. Tooth was always kind when he went to see her. Even with how busy she always was she made time to talk with him and make sure he was doing well.

He usually ended up visiting North when he was board. Even though he would have been welcome had he used the front door, Jack still enjoyed the challenge of trying to bust in. So far the score was 23 for Jack and 57 for Phil and the only reason Jack had won even 23 times was because Phil let him. He never could figure out how Phil could sneak up on him but it was an ongoing game for them. Occasionally, Jack stopped by North's office to say hello. Jack liked the times when he'd sit with the big man and together they'd create toys out of ice while North told him stories of Christmases past.

He and Bunny had come to an understanding. As a sprite of winter and a spirit of spring it was a miracle they had even managed that much and had it not been for their shared experiences with Pitch it probably never would have happened. Jack wouldn't necessarily call Bunny his friend per say and neither would Bunny of Jack but they did have a mutual respect for each other. So while Jack still played a few pranks, there hadn't been a repeat of the Blizzard of '68.

The last couple of decades though, Jack was back to being on his own. Besides seeing the occasional fairy or Sandy at night, Jack didn't really see much of the other Guardians at all. Like he said when they first asked him to be a Guardian, they were all hard work and deadlines. They didn't have time for Jack.

So he went back to horsing around and playing in the snow with the kids. It was better now that at least half of the kids could see him. Jack would never admit to having something like a goal but if he did it would be to make it so all the kids in the world could see him. Not that it could really ever happen. Even if Jack managed to conjure a few freak snowstorms, he'd never be able to stay long enough to get the kids that live near the equator to really believe in him.

He looked up at the full moon hanging low in the sky. "Is this it? Is this all there is?" he quietly asked MiM. He didn't mean to complain but even after becoming a Guardian he still felt like he was alone. Despite the fact that he was a Guardian, MiM still didn't really speak to him. MiM never answered with words and rarely communicated with shadow images but he would at the very least answer by send his reassurance. Jack wasn't too sure how that was done, he just knew that all the times he had questioned MiM he had at least always felt a bit better afterwards even if MiM didn't say anything.

He wasn't really expecting an answer this time either. So he was understandably shocked when a shadow flashed across the surface of the frozen clearing below him before shifting into shape. Jack stood up for a better look. He'd gotten better at deciphering pictographs since he started hanging around Sandy. He still had trouble following what the dream guardian was trying to say if the images were going too fast. This was different though. MiM was only showing one image in the shadows. It didn't seem to be about to change on him so MiM must be waiting for him to indicate that he understood.

Jack took a moment and frowned as he puzzled out what MiM was trying to tell him. Shadow reading was a bit harder than trying to understand Sandy. The shadow was flat on the ground and a single toned black. It was tough but Jack finally recognized the outline of Mexico. "Mexico, really?" Jack asked in disbelief. The image remained but changed subtly. Using various shades gray, MiM made is so the topography of the country was recognizable and highlighted one spot in particular. The pulse of gray was located in the south right were Jack knew Mexico City to be located.

"So let me get this straight. You want me to go to Mexico City – in the summer? What exactly am I supposed to do there?" Jack exclaimed. He had little to no tolerance for warm climates. He likes warm weather about as much as Bunny likes the snow. Which was not at all. Jack just couldn't understand why MiM would send him to a place where he would be in danger of lose his powers if he got caught there in the heat of the day.

MiM didn't offer anything by way of explanation. The shadow image remained in the clearing. It did not change or shift whatsoever. It seemed MiM wasn't going to give this idea up until Jack agreed. Heaving one big sigh of resignation, Jack looked up at the moon. Nodding his head once he leapt high in the air and let the winds catch him. Seems he had somewhere he needed to be.

Harry stood alone in the courtyard of the Shriners Hospital for Children in Mexico City waiting on MiM. He had left the room of 8-year-old José about ten minutes ago to let the boy sleep a little. José had been in the hospital for almost a year fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He had been an orphan living on the streets before he'd collapsed in the public library. The kindhearted librarian that had found him in the washroom had brought him here for help thinking he had been abused.

It was an easy mistake to make when it came to some of the signs of ALL. Living on the streets meant José had been malnourished despite the lack of appetite and weight loss that came with his type of cancer. It was the bad bruises that had been the main factors in fueling the librarian's suspicions though. They were innocent enough, some had just appeared on their own, while a few others were where he'd run into things or fallen. It was the one that looked like a handprint around his upper arm from the merchant who had tossed him out of his shop for attempting to steel some food that looked the worst. The man hadn't even been that rough, especially compared to how some of the other merchants got, but the disease made the bruising look far worse then the injury had been. The fatigue and shortness of breath had also made it harder for José to run when he got caught in the act of thieving, not to mention the ache in his joints and bones.

José never knew exactly what was wrong with him before the doctors had told him. He had gone undiagnosed for over two years before being brought to the hospital. He'd been given steroids and he had gone through chemotherapy and the radiation therapy. He'd lost all his hair. They said it was a miracle he'd lived this long but his luck had now run out. A few months ago the treatments had stopped working all together. The doctors said that the disease was in his nervous system and that he didn't have much longer to live. They had tried to reassure him. They said they understood what he was going through. They didn't: they may understand the process in the medical sense but they didn't know what it was like to know they were going to die. They said it wasn't his fault, that if he had been diagnosed sooner things might have been different. As if an eight year old should know how to take care of themselves. They said many things but none of it mattered now.

Tonight had been the worse yet. The medications he was given didn't stop the pain and it was bad enough to wake him up every few hours. He was going to die soon. José knew it. It was at times like this that he wished he had a mom or a dad to sit with him. Anyone, he just wanted someone who loved him to stay with him so he didn't have to be alone. He was scared. Then Harry had arrived. José hadn't heard or seen him enter the room and he didn't know how he got past the nurses station without anyone noticing. Nurse Maria was especially strict about visitors coming in after hours. Yet, Harry was here and no one had come to tell him to leave.

Harry didn't try to placate him with false reassurances. He'd said hello and introduced himself and then sat on the edge of the bed without a word. José didn't know why but he felt safe with Harry, and more importantly he didn't feel alone. He wasn't sure what Harry had asked him but somehow it got José to talk about what he was feeling. Not the medical questions the doctors and nurses asked but the emotions José was experiencing. José told Harry things he hadn't told to any one in the whole time he'd been at the hospital. Until Harry asked, José didn't realize just how much he needed someone to listen. And Harry did, he was quiet and patient and just listened to everything José had to say without treating him like a child.

He had been so emotionally drained afterwards that Harry had him lie down to sleep and told him a story. It was a fantastic story about a magic castle with witches and wizards! It was as Harry was telling him about how the witches and wizards celebrated Christmas that grabbed José's curiousity. Snow? José knew what it was, sure. It was the white on the top of the mountains outside the city but he'd never seen it up close. What was it? If only he could see it for himself so he knew what all the fuss was about.

Harry had looked a bit surprised by the question. For a moment José thought he might scoff at him and dismiss it for being stupid. Instead Harry had held up the wand in his hand and said he'd show him. José had been so excited at the possibility. Harry had tried several times though without anything happening. He stopped trying after his latest attempt produced a steady rain. Even though Harry promised to get help from his friend, José's hopes sank when it became evident that he really wasn't going to get to see snow. He'd curled up under the covers and gone to sleep.

Harry knew José wasn't going to survive the night. He'd gotten here less than an hour ago to stay with José until it was time to take him to the Hereafter. José had asked him to grant a wish that he couldn't give. It was the first time in years since that had happened. Harry had been telling José the story of his first snowball fight at Hogwarts when José had wished to see snow, real snow. Harry had been cocky. So when it proved to be too warm for him to conjure snow, both he and José had been disappointed. He had made several attempts but in the end stopped when he'd soaked the room with a sudden downpour of rain. Thankfully, he hadn't any trouble heating the room to dry it out but he couldn't make it snow. The best he could figure was that he was limited to the weather patterns that were the norm in this climate, which meant no snow.

Harry hoped that since he couldn't do it, maybe MiM would be able to help him out. He stood in the moonlight in the courtyard as he conversed with MiM. He was really hoping that MiM would be able to lend him the extra power he needed for this one thing. Instead MiM directed him to sit tight and wait until help arrived. At least it was a nice night so he could sit on the branch of a tree and look at the stars until 'help' arrived.

Jack hadn't known what to expect when he arrived in Mexico City. Considering he thought MiM crazy to send him here in the first place, all he could do was follow the pull he felt tugging him towards the outskirts of the city. To say he was confused and cautious when he landed in the central courtyard of a hospital would be an understatement.

Jack stood in the center of the courtyard with his staff raised defensively. The pull had lessened and now felt like only a slight hum through his nerves telling him that this was were MiM wanted him. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary as he slowly looked around but there were no lights out here except for the moon and the trees made plenty of dark shadows.

"Hey, up here."

Jack spun quickly and sent out a shot of frost towards the voice. He just caught sight of the end of a cape before it disappeared behind the trunk of a tree. He cursed himself for his automatic reaction to being startled. This was a defense mechanism that had developed as a result of fighting Pitch. He had no control over it. The one thing he could be thankful for was that he never reacted that way to children. Spirit beings had a different feel about them than Human beings. Jack, and he assumed the other spirit beings, could sense both presences and be able to tell them apart. Since Pitch and his Nightmares were spirit beings, the feeling of a spirit's presence is what has been triggering Jack's reactions. It had happened a few times when the other Guardians had accidentally sunk up on him. That had been how he figured out what the cause was to his episodes. Thankfully, he'd recovered quickly and had been able to laugh it off as a joke. He didn't want to bother them with his problems.

"Whoa don't shoot. I mean you no harm." Whoever was behind the tree didn't sound much older than him. He quickly raked his memories of every spirit being he'd ever met trying to find a match. This voice didn't sound familiar in the least. Fed up after drawing a blank, Jack called out to the figure.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Promise you won't shoot me and I'll introduce myself properly" replied the figure with a laugh in his voice, as if he found the idea of Jack attacking him to be funny. Good, if this guy wasn't going to make a big deal of Jack's initial reaction then Jack definitely wasn't going to draw attention to it.

"Yeah, alright. It's a deal."

Jack watched as the figure leaned out to look around the tree, checking that Jack was sincere before abandoning his shield. Deciding that Jack no longer posed a threat, the person stepped out from behind the tree and walked slowly towards were Jack was standing. As the light from the moon illuminated his features, Jack saw that he'd been about right at judging his apparent age.

"Hi. I'm Harry." Harry stuck out his right hand to shake.

"Jack Frost," he replied, taking Harry's hand. It was a simple handshake consisting of two quick moments of the wrists.

"I know," Harry said simply.

Releasing the handshake, Harry put his hands in his front pockets. Jack opted for wrapping both hands around his staff and leaning a bit of his weight on it as he took a good look at the boy – young man – in front of him. The guy didn't look much older than Jack and he looked to be about the same height as him. The guy wore jeans and a long sleeve tee with a cloak over top. He had short black hair that looked as if it had never seen a comb and his eyes were emerald green. Jack was positive he'd never seen this guy before.

"So, was it you who called me here?" Jack asked.

"Well sorta," Harry answered. "I asked MiM for some help and a half hour later you show up. I'm assuming you're the help."

"Maybe. I still have no idea why I'm here."

"Oh right. We should probably walk and talk. It's kinda a long story and we're on a tight schedule since sunrise is in 3 hours. I'm betting you'd rather not be around for it."

"You got that right. Fine, after you."

Harry smiled and gestured with a nod of his head that he intended to reenter the building through the door on Jack's left. Jack stepped with him and they set off side by side.

"I've asked you here because a friend of mine wants to know what snow looks like," Harry began to explain. "You see he's never left Mexico City in his entire life so naturally he hasn't ever seen snow. I gave it my best try to conjure even a few flakes in his bedroom for him but I only managed to make it rain. My magic is versatile but I apparently don't have the ability to control the elements in a climate where they don't occur naturally. I'm hoping you could lend me a hand with it."

"That makes sense. I'll be honest with you, even my power is limited in places like this. I should be able to make it snow but I can't guarantee how long I can sustain it and it will melt before it hits the floor."

"Even that much would mean the world to him."

"Why all this effort just to satisfy your friend's curiosity. Can't you just show him pictures or something?"

"I could but images don't hold anything on the real thing. Pictures can't replace all the sensations and emotions he will feel if he experiences it for himself. As for why all the effort, José is sick and I doubt he will live past the sunrise. I want to grant him this one final wish before I escort him to the Hereafter."

"Wait, what?" Jack stopped dead in his tracks and grabbed Harry by the other arm to make him stop too. Jack couldn't believe what he'd just heard. It was impossible that there was a spirit to tend to sick and dying kids. It just didn't make sense to him that such a somber job existed. Harry looked at him with understanding and gave him a small smile in reassurance. It looked like he used that expression a lot for it to come so easily to his face.

"That's what I do. I guess my official title is Master of Death but that doesn't really fit with what I'm doing now. Let's just say I have a special connection with death and a strong instinct to protect innocents. So, one day MiM asked me to watch over the souls of children as they passed between the Land of the Living, the Hereafter, and the Realm in-between."

"Oh," Jack floundered for something appropriate to say to that.

"I know what your thinking. It's not the happiest sounding responsibility compared to being Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but I'm constantly amazed by the bravery and strength these kids have to face the ultimate darkness. They could do it without me if they had to. Well, they really DID have to before MiM recruited me. Despite their fears, they passed to the Hereafter unassisted but they shouldn't have to do it alone."

"What happened to them when you weren't there?" Jack asked out of curiousity. He regretted it once he saw Harry's frown and the guilt in his eyes.

"Those that died quickly and those that were really brave were able to cross over no problem. Even some of the timid ones would make it if they met someone they knew in the Realm that could help them. It was the ones that were terrified and alone that often got lost somewhere in the Realm. That was one of the first things I had to fix when I started. I had to find all the lost souls and guide them to the Hereafter."

"How long have you been doing this," Jack genuinely wanted to know. From what he could tell, Harry didn't seem to be suffering in a way Jack perceived would come from this kind of job. Master of Death must be something in his personality that makes him better suited to this kind of responsibility. Jack could never do it.

"Hum, sorry," Harry said dragging himself out of his memories. "Let me think… I've been shepherding children for thirty years or so."

Jack did some quick calculations in his head. That means that Harry had come into existence as a spirit twenty years after the Guardians had suppressed Pitch's uprising. Being immortal, thirty years didn't count as much at all but even still Jack should have heard about this guy. The other Guardians must know of him. There's no way Harry's been off the grid all this time. Jack remembered meeting Sandy after only a month as a spirit. Harry's had to have met one of the others by now. The question was did all the other Guardians know of Harry's existence and, if so, how come nobody had told him? The thought that they could have betrayed him like that hinted at more pain then he could stand, so Jack refused to continue that line of thought. To distract himself he refocused on the original reason he was here.

"Okay," he said softly.

"Okay what?" Harry asked in confusion. Jack had gone really quiet on him and had a look on his face that Harry knew he had sported regularly in his human life. It was unclear then if his quiet announcement of agreement was an answer for Harry or if it was a verbal affirmation of an inner resolution.

Jack shook his head and brought his full attention to Harry. "Okay, I'll help you. Remember, no guarantees but I promise I'll make it snow."

The grin that came to Harry's face was so wide it looked that he could pull a facial muscle.

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. "He's just in this room up here. Second on the right."

Harry continued to walk through said door but Jack hesitated at the doorway, unsure of what he might see in the room. He stood in the doorway and just looked in. It was a hospital room like any other found in the western world. There were cards and stuffed animals arranged on a table against the wall just inside the door. There was a TV in a corner near the ceiling opposite the only bed in the room. There were important looking machines on the wall and suspended from poles around the large single occupancy bed.

Although the bed wasn't large enough to fit two adults, its size made the young boy occupying it seem very small and frail. Jack had never see a child look like this before. Sure every now and then there was the odd child out playing in the snow who was either just catching or just finishing a cold. The boy in the bed didn't look anything like them. He was almost as pale as his sheets, which really concerned Jack since it was the height of summer in this country and this boy should be dark from the sun. He was thin and he had no hair on his head. If this is what all the kids Harry helps look like then Harry must be much stronger than Jack originally estimated to have signed on for an eternity of this.

The only light in the room was the artificial light flooding through the open door from the hallway, the natural light from the full moon through the windows, and a night light plugged into an outlet opposite the bed. The boy seemed to have been sleeping when they first arrived but at Harry's approached he awoke.

"Harry?" The boy sounded groggy, not just from sleep but probably from the medication as well.

"Hi José, I have someone I want you to meet. This is my friend Jack Frost." Harry waved Jack over. "He's going to make it snow for you. Would you like that?"

The boy nodded his head and pushed himself up into a seated position. "Hola Jack," he said with a big smile on his face.

"Hey there, José," Jack replied.

"Will you really show me snow like Harry says?"

"Of course I will," Jack reassured. "You believe me, don't you?"

nodded again, the smile on his face growing and his eyes lighting up in excitement. Harry's face mirrored José's as he watched from the far side of the bed near the window. Magic, in any form, always fascinated him.

"Alright then. You might want a blanket."

Jack moved to stand in the middle of the room. It was still pretty warm even though it was the middle of the night. This was going to take a lot of concentration and power. Jack held his staff in both hands and placed the base on the floor in front of him so it stood straight up on end with the crook aimed at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and concentrated on making it snow. He started with dropping the temperature in the room so the snow wouldn't melt the moment it hit the air. He visualized his pond in the woods outside Jamie's town as it looked in the middle of winter: snow on the ground, the lake frozen over with a foot of ice, the bare branches of the trees creaking as the wind blew through them. He thought of that setting and pushed his magic to recreate it in this hospital room.

Harry had pulled the covers up over José at Jack's suggestion. He wasn't worried about himself. He stood back so he could have a clear view of both José and Jack. Jack hadn't moved for the last few minutes but still there was no snow. Harry felt a distinct chill in the air so he knew that Jack was trying to drop the temperature first. The problem seemed to be that Jack couldn't make it cold enough throughout the whole room. At best the room felt as if an air conditioner had been running for a few minutes, cooler for sure but not cold enough for snow. Harry frowned when he noticed the temperature had leveled out and looked to Jack.

Jack was getting frustrated. He'd known when he'd first got here that this was going to be challenging but he was sure if he could just get the room to around freezing he'd be able to make enough snow to replicate a light flurry. He could feel his strength waning and if he used any more power he wouldn't be able to maintain cold to sustain the snow fall. After everything Harry had told him he felt a deep need and desire to make José's wish come true. Here was one kid in a warm climate that believed in him. He deserved to see snow or Jack wasn't worthy of being the spirit of winter.

Harry could see that José was getting impatient and starting to loose faith. He watched Jack in uncertainty and growing doubt. Harry couldn't have that. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket noticing that as he did so he had caught José's attention. Harry winked and raised his wand. He didn't use an incantation nor did he direct his wand with any type of movement. He simply held it loosely in his hand and picture Hogwarts at Christmas time. A wave of cold seemed to radiate out around him as a result, which grabbed Jack's attention.

After spending at least the last minute at a stalemate with the temperature of the room, Jack's eyes flew open when he registered a drastic difference flow and equalize within a few seconds. He looked to its origin and saw Harry. He didn't appear to have moved much since Jack first closed his eyes except for the thin stick he held in his right hand. Harry hadn't said what exact type of magic he had. When he'd explained that he could only conjure rain, Jack assumed that meant he had no control over the colder elements at all. Jack reevaluated his first impression of Harry to accommodate this new piece of information. This guy had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Jack gave Harry a small nod in thanks and got back to the task at hand. He still owed José some snow. Now that Harry had made the room colder the rest was easy. Jack raised his staff high and touched the tip of the crook to the ceiling.

In the bed, José sat shivering under the blankets after the temperature started to drop. He watched Jack Frost in the middle of the room. When nothing happened after a few minutes, José started to doubt Jack. He knew his wish to see snow was not going to happen. It never snowed in Mexico City, even in the winter. He should have known his wish was impossible when Harry couldn't grant it. What chance did this Jack fellow have when someone as awesome as Harry had trouble trying to make it snow. He looked over to Harry, desperately hoping that he would be able to do something. He wasn't sure how or what Harry could do but José believed that Harry could fix everything. Harry must have understood him because he winked and pulled out his wand.

José had seen Harry do magic when he first tried to make it snow so he was encouraged by the sight of Harry's actions. He pulled the thin summer bedding tighter around his shoulders to keep out the resulting chill and looked back to see if the cold would help Jack Frost. He watched Jack Frost as he raised his staff up. From it spread grey clouds from corner to corner until the whole ceiling was completely covered by them. Once the clouds settled, small snowflakes began to fall throughout the room.

José got up onto his knees as quickly as he could in excited surprise and reached his arms up to catch the first flakes as they fell. This was unbelievable. The flakes didn't fall like rain but fluttered and swooped in descending arcs as if on an imaginary breeze, like confetti at Carnaval. He tried to catch them but they disappeared as the made contact with his skin. At that moment he didn't need the blankets on the bed to keep warm despite the cold in the room and the pain in his body was temporarily forgotten. At that moment, for the first time in years, José was just a normal, ordinary kid again.

"I'm afraid that our time is up," Harry mournfully announced after half an hour of play. Both Jack and José were clearly tired. The difference, Harry knew, was that Jack would recover once he returned to the colder climates. The time had come for Harry to guide José to the Realm.

"Jack could you wait for me outside?" Harry asked him quietly.

Jack nodded then turned to José. "Well kid, that's the best I could do."

"It was great. Muchos gracias," José replied excitedly though clearly tired.

"You're welcome." Jack turned to exit out the door not wanting to shock José's system by causing a sudden temperature change that would result from opening the window.

"Bye." José tried to call after him but could not raise his voice higher than a whisper. Jack heard him any ways. He waved over his shoulder casually before he was gone.

Harry met Jack in the courtyard after he'd finish seeing José to his train in the Realm. Jack was sitting on the back of a bench with his feet on the seat as he looked up at the moon. Harry made sure to make a lot of noise as he approached him.

"Hey, thanks for your help" Harry said by way of announced himself.

Jack looked over at him but didn't respond.

"You okay?" Harry asked.

"I don't know how you do it," Jack commented without looking at him.

Jack didn't need to clarify that vague statement. Harry knew exactly what he was talking about and he could understand where Jack was coming from. Many of his friends from when he was human had given him strange or pitying looks whenever the topic of death came up.

"It's not all that different from what you do Jack, if you leave out the details." Harry said lightly.

Jack looked at him sharply. He looked almost angry, like Harry had offended him. "It's nothing like what I do. I don't send kids off to their deaths," he objected firmly.

Harry's demeanor changed from laid back and friendly to closed off and emotionless in less than a second. He could understand Jack's dislike for the subject but he refused to allow himself to be accused of murder.

"Neither do I," he said coldly.

"No?" Jack questioned doubtfully. "Doesn't seem that way to me. If you're job was to escort kids to the afterlife then you would not exist on this plane. If what you say is true then you're only needed in the in-between Realm, not in the land of the living. So that begs the question, what exactly are you doing here?"

Harry just glared at Jack. He hated to let the irritating brat think he'd won the argument but Harry couldn't give him an answer. He'd never though to question why he existed in this world when his job was in the Realm. MiM had just dropped him off like this so Harry had learned to adapt and traverse between the realms as needed.

When Harry remained quiet, Jack took that as a sign that he'd been right. He loosened his stance from confrontational to self-satisfied arrogance in his assumed victory.

"I thought so," he said with a smirk.

"Shows what you know," Harry continued to glare at him. "If all your going to do is make an arse of yourself then get lost, snow cone. Better hurry the sun's coming."

Jack sent his own glare at Harry for the name. 'I don't have to take this. I'm outta here,' he thought to himself. Besides, loath though he was to admit it Harry was right. The sun would be up in about an hour and Jack had to clear the Tropic of Cancer before the sun rose. His best bet was to head to the Rocky Mountains and continue north through the mountain range until he got to Canada. He had really drained his strength by coming here and with it being summer in the northern hemisphere he'll need to hide out in the higher altitudes until he regains his strength.

With one parting glare, Jack called up the wind and took off north. 'There's something off about that guy,' Jack thought to himself as he left.

A/N: There it is folks. Hoped it met your expectations. I just want to explain a few things about this chapter.

To start, I got the idea for Harry's job from Children's Wish Foundation. It's a charity I support annually that aims to grant an exceptional wish to every child (age 3-17) that his been diagnosed with a terminal illness. If you want to check it out or if you are interested in making a donation then you can google it.

I wanted to lookup the details of ALL to accurately represent it in José. I did my best to tell it like it is but there's a good chance I've made some mistakes. God has been kind enough to my family and friends thus far so I have no personal experience with the disease and God be with anyone who has or knows someone with a terminal illness.

In case I wasn't clear enough or if you had trouble figuring it out, this first meeting between Jack and Harry takes place 50 years after the end of RotG movie and 95 years after the end of Deathly Hallows. Harry spent 65 years in the dream/ in-between realm with MiM and first wakes up 20 years after the end of RotG. If you're still confused **review **and let me know.

I based Jack's reaction to Harry's job loosely on how I imagined how you – my readers – would react. Please **review** and let me know if I was close.

On another note, I'll let you in on a little secret. I've pinned down the skeletal frame of this fic. I have a delicious idea for how Harry is going to finally come into his role as a Guardian. It's all a matter of writing out the details and piecing the story together. I don't want to give too much away but trust me it's going to be great.

Once again thanks to everyone for the reviews and the support.

~*~Sundance-gurl


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or RotG.

**Chapter 6**

Jack arrived at North's place by the following evening after leaving Mexico City. It had taken him all day to travel through the mountains. He'd had to stay in the high altitudes and follow the cold breezes north. He'd only been able to chance flying when he'd reached northern Canada around late afternoon.

For once, Jack used the front doors instead of trying to sneak in. Phil gave him a questioning look but Jack was in too much of a hurry to stop and talk. He needed answers. If North didn't have them then Jack needed to tell him about this Harry guy. It could be that Harry had told the truth when he explained the details of his death job. Jack wouldn't rule out that possibility. Harry had seemed like a nice guy but he wasn't going to blindly trust anyone with such dark power. Not after the fiasco with Pitch. He'd learned his lesson.

Jack kept his eyes peeled as he made his way through the workshop. He had a good hunch that he'd find North in his office but he didn't want to miss him due to inattention if he was in the toy factory. It was pretty empty now. Since it was the middle of July the workshop was still on a regular 9-5 schedule. The way Jack understood, it was in the Yetis' union agreement not to start working overtime until three months before Christmas. Jack figured it was about an hour after quitting time because there were only the elves moving about the place. He didn't spot the big man anywhere so he continued on his way.

"North. Hey North, you in here?" Jack called as he approached the door to North's office. He didn't bother knocking before entering the office since he'd already announced himself. North was sitting in his chair at his desk. There wasn't any music playing. Instead of the ice sculptures Jack was used to seeing on the desk, North was reading one of the books from the shelves. Jack felt a bit of excitement spark in him at the sight. The last time he'd found North like this he'd been planning and designing a working ice model of the 1988 Buran space shuttle and launch pad 110/37. Whatever North was working on now it was going to be big.

"Hello Jack," North greeted without looking up from the page he was reading. He held up one finger to ask for a moment of quiet while he got to a good stopping point and closed his book after marking the page. He set the book on his desk and turned to give his full attention to Jack. That was one reason why Jack liked spending time with North above all the other Guardians. North treated him differently, like a little brother rather than just a friend. It was the closest Jack had to family since he'd died.

"Hey. How's it going?" Jack continued with the formalities. Now that he was here he was starting to doubt whether telling North his concerns was a good idea. He was always nervous he wouldn't be taken seriously because of his age, time as a Guardian, or because of the mistakes he made during Pitch's last uprising.

"Is good but is not why I think you are here. What is problem, Jack?" North could see that Jack was doing some deep thinking and was troubled by something.

"Do you know of a spirit named Harry? I met him last night. MiM told me to help him so I did but the guy seemed a bit strange."

"Harry? I do recognize name but cannot put face on."

"He has a unique power. He calls himself Master of Death and his job is to lead children to the Hereafter," Jack expected that to get a big reaction out of North. He was very protective of the children and Jack was sure that the news of a spirit taking children to their deaths would outrage him. Instead, North just sat looking pensive.

"You know him? You knew he was around and didn't tell anyone? This guy could be a serious threat to everything." Jack couldn't believe it. In his distress he was letting his thoughts run away with him.

"Calm, Jack, calm. Do not be conclusion jumping about him. I do not know him well. I met him once, few years ago on Christmas Eve. Until you mentioned him, I did not remember him," North said in a deeply pensive voice. "Here, sit. Is long story and longer discussion I think," North said pulling a smaller stool out for Jack to sit on. It had originally been used as a table for trays of cookies since North rarely had any room on his desk. After Jack kept clearing it off to use every time he visited it became his. He sat and got comfortable. He had a feeling North was right about how long this talk would take but he doubted he'd remain sitting for very long after North finished telling him about meeting Harry.

"Was Christmas night seven years ago. I was in India around the boarder with China. I was visiting home, giving gifts, as normal. Suddenly, I hear someone cough behind me and my skin nearly jumped off. At first, I thought child had found me. But no. I turn and there is spirit that looked bit older than you standing in doorway to only other room in house. He introduced himself as Harry and asked if I have bit of time to give him. You know Jack how busy I am on Christmas but I say yes because I am curious. He led me into other room where whole family was sleeping. There was one little girl seated with back against wall looking asleep but opened eyes when we approached. Jack, it was terrible sight. She was so thin that her skin stretched over bones like she hadn't eaten in months. She looked very weak. Her eyes were full of fear, pain, and sadness. I turned to Harry and asked him what was wrong with girl. He called it malnourishment – not enough food to eat. Girl was dying because of it. "Harry, you are spirit. You protect children. You must save her," I say. He say, "I can't, I'm sorry. I'm the Master of Dead, not Death itself. I can't stop it. All I can do is help them find their way." I look back to girl and she has seen us. And it was miracle thing to see. When she saw me her eyes changed. There was spark of wonder in them. I knelt down next to her and put my hand on her shoulder in comfort. Right before my eyes the spark of wonder grew in her eyes until there was no more fear or pain or sadness, only wonder. Was one of best Christmas gift I ever give. I watched as Harry took her hand and then he disappeared as light went out of girl's eyes. That was last time I saw him. I went on to finish Christmas. After that, I looked for him but eventually forgot about him when I didn't find him. So you see, Jack, meeting me meant little girl was no longer afraid. If Harry was as bad as Pitch, he would have hidden from me and prayed on girl's fear instead of trying to console her."

"All right, so maybe he isn't pure evil. But he's still a suspicious character. He's bad news." Jack stood up and started pacing.

"Jack, we are Guardians. We don't go round falsely accusing spirits we don't know."

"It isn't a false accusation if it's true," Jack stopped and argued.

"But you don't know that for sure. He is – what is saying? – innocent until proven not."

"Innocent until proven guilty," Jack corrected automatically.

"Is what I say," North dismissed the correction of his English as usual with a shrug. "All spirits have purpose Jack. Is like children though. Some do good and some do bad but all are respected for who they are. Unless they threaten the children or us, we leave them alone to work. We are Guardians Jack, not KGB."

"But what if we had proof or –"

"Like what? Why you think this spirit is as bad as Pitch?"

"I don't think he's as bad as Pitch but I still think he's bad."

"Why? And don't say because of his job. Man in Moon does everything for reason," North warned. He didn't mind Jack speaking his mind but only if his argument was thought out and presented rationally. He would not tolerate blind accusations against MiM or any other spirit.

"Okay fine. Aside from the whole Master of Death thing, there's still something off about him. Like his reactions, he moves too quickly and silently."

"Is not necessarily bad," North countered. It was true that in the human world these abilities were most commonly found in fighters. However, many of the spirits of childhood had developed agility and silence to meet the demands of their jobs without getting caught by children. It wasn't a strong argument and both Jack and North knew it.

"Okay but he has this way that he stands," Jack tried to explain. From the skeptic look on North's face he could tell it was a poor attempt. "I mean, his manners and body language aren't directly threatening but it's like his laid-back nonchalance is a smokescreen for something dangerous behind his smile and friendly disposition."

"So you not like because he's friendly?" North guessed with confusion. Jack really wasn't explaining this well at all. So far this spirit sounded pretty nice.

"Yes – I mean, no. I mean – yes he's friendly but no, I don't like him because it seems like he's hiding something. Even though he looks relaxed all the time, if you watch him closely you can tell that he's ready for a fight at any second."

"Ah, now I see," North said with understanding.

"So you agree with me?" Jack asked for confirmation.

"Of course not," North said in the same tone he'd used when he'd first tried to get Jack to go through the Guardian ceremony, that tone that said he thought Jack was being ridiculous. "What you are describing is not evil, it is warrior."

"Warrior?"

"Yes, is not easy to understand unless by other warriors."

"But I'm a warrior. I fought Pitch," Jack argued.

"No Jack," North contradicted in a grave tone of voice. "You are Guardian and a fighter but not warrior. Warrior is part of who a person is. Is part of very being. Like me, I am warrior. You notice I pick up sword at moments notice? I am always prepared. It comes from person who fought many battles before," North explained.

Jack didn't think he really understood the concept but he had noticed North was always quick to draw his swords at any sign of trouble. He trusted and respected North so he accepted the explanation. "Okay. But what about his powers?" This was Jack's last point against Harry.

"Jack, we said this already. His power is what Man in Moon gave him to do his job" North said in exasperation.

"No, no, I'm not talking about that. I mean he has powers that are different and not a part of his job."

"What you mean?"

"He called me to Mexico City to make it snow only after he failed to do it himself. He made it sound like he could have done it himself under different circumstances. And when I was making it snow, he did something to make the room colder so I'd be successful. It was like magic – and not our kind of magic. Magic like a sorcerer."

The look North gave him clearly stated that he thought Jack was crazy. Jack felt crazy too. His argument had sounded so concrete in his head but after hearing what it sounded like out loud he couldn't be mad at North for his reaction.

"There are many kinds of magic Jack. You know this. From everything you say it sounds like this Harry is still young to our ways and hasn't learned to drop his guard like rest of us."

"You can't be defending him!" Jack said in angry denial. He may agree that North had won this debate but Jack couldn't shake the feeling that Harry shouldn't be trusted.

"Jack, what are we?" North asked calmly.

Jack heaved a sigh, "we're the Guardians." He knew it was pointless to keep arguing when North got like this. He could even see North's point even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. As Guardians, they have to be unbiased in their treatment of other spirits and act in everyone's best interests.

"Exactly."

Harry angrily threw another rock into the lake. He needn't worry about being seen or disturbed. Hogwarts was out for summer break and it was the middle of the night besides. He'd always come to this spot on the lake when he was still living to think whenever the stress of school or life weighed heavily upon him. Times like right now.

After parting ways with Jack in Mexico City, Harry had been too upset to continue his personal visits that night. He'd sent out projections of his magic to guide children as they were needed and returned to his tower in Hogwarts. He lied in bed for most of the day. He didn't need sleep but it was a habit left over from his human life that he hadn't bothered changing. He had tried mediation to sort his thoughts and calm himself. He'd made several attempts but his thoughts kept circling from anger at Jack's words to self-doubt about his purpose.

How dare that…that…that frost bitten little brat falsely accuse him like that? The kid had no idea what he was talking about. It burned at Harry's insides like acid. This had been the same feeling he got every time the rumours and gossip of Hogwarts and the Wizarding world slandered his name. He hated the feeling and thought he was done with having to deal with it when he agreed to help MiM. Another rock splashed into the water.

MiM had made it sound so easy when he trained him. When he had awoken back in his tower, Harry understood his purpose. For the past thirty years he'd never questioned himself. There had been times of doubting his capabilities in performing his duty but never in the job itself. Even after all the training with MiM, he had been unprepared for the demands he would face. If it hadn't been for Sandy, Harry wouldn't have made it as a spirit. What had been the scariest time in his existence had been transformed into his strongest positive memory thanks to the dream spirit.

Harry had been serving as the spirit of death for children for only a few months. Since he'd woken up he'd gotten much better at understanding the different aspects of his powers and the influences children had over him. He'd been a bit disoriented when he'd first woken up in the same tower at Hogwarts where he'd passed out after the war. He had woken up with a pain in his stomach that at first felt like hunger. This had confused him since MiM had explained that he'd never feel hunger as a spirit. He'd be able to eat but he'd never need to.

As he'd pondered this feeling, it had changed from the feeling of needing something to eat to reminding him of a feeling from Before – something to do with a trophy and an older boy and a tug like a fishing hook at his naval. It had given him a momentary panic attack to think he was going to disappear and be pulled to places unknown. That hadn't been the case. Instead he'd had to follow the feeling of his own will. The pressure only lessened when he moved in the direction the feeling took him. He'd followed the feeling from Hogwarts to London, more specifically to the Great Ormond Street Hospital to see his first child across the Realm. The feeling hadn't let up until he found himself in the operating room where an eight-year-old girl name Susie was receiving a kidney transfer. She hadn't been going on, she had just needed someone to keep her company in the Realm as she underwent her first surgery.

His existence had continued on like that for the most part. He'd feel the pull on his core that would lead him to children within the United Kingdom. Then after a while he'd been pulled to places throughout the European Union. It progressed like that as his range expanded to encompass children around the world. Unfortunately, Harry had been straining to keep up with the demand before his range expanded past the western world. He had followed the pull of his magic to every corner of the globe trying to help as many children as he could. Even with his magic, it was impossible for him to answer every summons. There had been too many children, too many pulls, to keep up with. He couldn't be everywhere he needed to be at the same time. There was not easing the pressure.

The feeling had come again and returned with more strength, as he'd become more attuned with it. He'd just finish escorting one child only to feel pulls from two or three more. Four months later he hadn't been able to bare the feeling of his core pulling him in every direction. It had been too much. He couldn't keep up. While one tug applied just a bit of pressure, the hundreds he had been feeling by then were tearing him apart. Harry hadn't been able to make it stop. He hadn't known how. As the pressure had increased, the pain had spread to his head and exploded behind his temples. He hadn't been able to think or move. When he couldn't take it any more, he'd screamed at the top of his lungs in a vain attempt to ease some of the pressure. After he'd ran out of breath, he'd wrapped his arms around his middle, sank to his knees and pressed his forehead into the earth. He'd really wished he could pass out. He had been sure that was the end for him.

Across town from where Harry had collapsed, gold dream sand danced in rivers across the sky. Sandman had stopped what he was doing when he heard the scream. He'd checked that his dream sand would operate without his personal direction before he'd gone to see what the trouble was. He'd found Harry where he'd fallen and decided to help. Harry could only imagine what Sandy had thought of him when he'd found him: this unknown spirit he'd never seen before, kneeling and screaming in pain on the ground, who hadn't even been able to sense his approach.

Harry still couldn't figure out how Sandy had done it. Harry had been too absorbed by the pain to notice anything around him. He hadn't even felt Sandy's hand on his shoulder. Somehow though, Sandy had been able to ease the pain just enough for Harry to be able to focus on something else. He had then been able to feel the hand on his shoulder and the presence of Sandy beside him. When he hadn't heard anything after a moment, he'd opened his eyes and raised his head. The pain had still there for sure but it hadn't been as crippling. He'd been able to see Sandy clearly enough to understand the images and gestures he was using to communicate. Thank goodness that Harry had so much experience communicating in different methods with MiM otherwise the rapid pace images would have made him hurl.

"_Direct strands of your magic to follow the pulls and project an image to act in you stead. The strands will be able to travel much faster than you will my friend and they can allow you to be in more than one place at a time_," Sandy had directed by miming the instructions. For Harry, it hadn't been so much about reading them as understanding the meaning as a whole, almost as if Sandy had been speaking telepathically to him.

Harry had concentrated through the pain, something he sadly had a lot of experience with, and focused on following Sandy's instructions. MiM had taught him how to direct his magic in similar ways during training. Harry's consciousness had sunk within himself to his core. Wading through the hundreds of pure white strings of the pulls to the golden light of his magical core, Harry had attached just enough of his magic to each white string to make a lifelike projection of himself appear to every child that needed him. He'd watched as the white strings had detached from his core pulling a little ball of magic at their ends like a fish caught on a line. Off they went and with them went the pressure and pain associated with a pull that went unanswered for too long. It had taken him a good amount of time to go through all of the strings and attach projections to each but it had gotten easier as he'd gone along as the pain had decreased with each answered pull.

He'd returned to full awareness after releasing the final pull only to find a golden little man standing calmly in front of him with a smile on his face. He watched a quick series of images made of the same golden colour and granular texture flash above the little man's head. _"That's it. Try to answer the pulls as soon as you feel them. You might need to physically sit down and concentrate on each one until you get used to the process. This will prevent another instance of pain such as the one you just experienced. After you get practiced at it you'll be able to do it in your sleep." _

Harry had been so grateful to the little man, Sandy as he'd introduced himself, that he'd hugged him. It had felt like lying face down in the sand at the beach on a warm afternoon. Sandy was now the only friend Harry could name. He regularly visited the little man on his cloud whenever he felt lonely. Sandy had explained more about the spirits and the world of children that MiM hadn't covered, including the history of interactions between the Guardians and the Boogeyman. Sometimes Harry had gone to him with specific questions about how to use his powers. Most times though, they had sat in silence just enjoying each other's company.

Jack was right about one thing. His purpose was technically just to help children to the other side. The "one last wish" rule he'd adopted had been his own. He had come up with the idea to make his job easier for both him and the child. It was one of the things that had come from his discussions with Sandy. It had been terrible for him to watch a child suffer as he waited for them to pass. He also had found that they were more distressed when he met them in the Realm. By comforting them beforehand and reassuring them that he'd be there to help them through it had been much less stressful for him and the children. No, Jack was wrong. There was nothing malicious about his cause. Snow Cone wouldn't understand that so long as he viewed death as something evil and denied that it was a natural process. He threw another rock as hard as he could into the lake.

Was this curse of constant liable and slander going to haunt him for eternity? It seemed he could never escape it for long. For some reason he'd thought the spirit world would be different. Sandy had accepted him so easily as a friend and he was on amiable terms with North after their one meeting. They had accepted him as one of their own. They had welcomed him, maybe not with open arms, and they had guided him in the operation of his responsibilities. Sure it was only two of the five Guardians but it had given Harry hope that this existence was going to be better than the last.

Maybe it was just Jack. Harry saw the signs within the first minutes of meeting him that the winter sprite was fighting some demons of his own. Jack's initial, instinctual reaction when startled, the defensive behaviour when Harry had introduced himself and asked Jack to walk with him, and the suspicion and accusation at the end of their meeting were all signs of some psychological trauma. Harry didn't yet have enough information to properly determine what exactly that trauma may be but he had enough personal experience from the war to recognize the symptoms in someone else. He honestly wanted to help the sprite as much as he hated him. Not out of pity but because he felt protective of him. He felt responsible to help since he knew how to help. He threw another rock in frustration that realization inspired in him.

He was angrier at being made to feel guilty and doubtful in his purpose than he was at the Snow Cone but it's hard to stay angry at a feeling. Jack had been the cause of him feeling this way so Harry focused his anger against Jack. But the more he analyzed Jack's behaviour and recognized his actions for what they really were, the faster the anger drained out of him. He heaved a sigh that felt as if he was deflating and sat down on the bank of the lake, too emotionally drained to return to his tower. In his emotional exhaustion, he failed to notice the lengthening of the shadows around him.

"I'm telling you North, this Harry guy is not someone we should be trusting. I just have this feeling about him," Jack implored one final time.

His plea fell on deaf ears though. North had stopped listening to Jack half way through that sentence. He was too distracted by the ringing in his ears. Usually this wouldn't bother him but this ringing was the same pitch, frequency, and annoyance as an analogue alarm clock. And that was precisely what it was, an alarm. Except that instead of waking North up, this was the alarm North had set just under fifty years ago as part of a surveillance system that was monitoring the world for any evil activity. This was the first instance that it had gone off since testing had been completed after instillation. So North was understandably concerned to hear the alarm that informed him if Pitch ever resurfaced.

"Come with me, Jack", North interrupted Jack mid-rant and walked out the door without waiting for him.

"Wha – wait a second, wait for me," Jack called as he ran to catch up.

Jack followed North from his office to the command platform that overlooked the globe. To Jack, everything looked as it should. The globe was illuminated and it was rotating, as it should. North, on the other hand, knew what to look for. As the globe spun, his eyes scanned its surface in search of anything out of the norm. It shouldn't be hard to spot once it was in view. North had made sure during the programing that the visual alarm was a flashing red light so it would be easily seen. Among all the gold lights on the globe, a red beacon no matter how small should stick out like a sore thumb.

There it was. As the globe continued it's counter-clockwise rotation, Western Africa, Western Europe and the United Kingdom came into view. The small red dot was flashing near the top. North's eyes focused on it.

Northern Scotland.

A/N: And the plot thickens. I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone for the reviews. I love the support and I've gotten some great ideas from your suggestions. Please keep sending me great feedback. I've already got a small start on the next chapter but I don't think I'll have it finished before the New Year.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

~*~ sundance-gurl


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What does this mean, North?" Jack asked. He'd never seen North react like this. He'd been brought in after the last incident when Pitch had already made an appearance at the Pole. Maybe North had been like this then. All Jack knew was that North's current disposition was fearsome. Was this what he meant early when he described being a warrior? Until now, Jack had never noticed the way North normally carried himself. He could now recognize it as similar to what had set him off about Harry. Before the alarm went off, North had looked relaxed but after seeing how quickly he reacted the instant the alarm sounded Jack was half convinced that North had been expecting it.

"We must summon the others," North said to himself, while at the same time answering Jack. He strode over to the control panel and activated the signal. He gave a quarter turn counter clockwise and depressed the handle. The Aurora Borealis sprung up from around the globe and radiated rosy pink and light green across the sky. Hopefully, the others would respond expediently.

XXXXXX

The attack came suddenly and without warning. The very fact that Harry was caught unawares was perhaps the only reason the ambush was successful in the first place. The shadows snuck up from behind him, disguising themselves in the natural shadows of the trees and rocks until they were close enough to pounce. They moved so silently that Harry wasn't aware of their presence until they were on him. It was all he could do to try and resist the invasion.

XXXXXX

"Well, I suppose I can at least be grateful that you didn't summon me right before Easter," Bunny said indignantly as he hurried to the large hearth to warm his frozen extremities.

"Believe me Bunny, I wish I hadn't had to summon any of you in the first place," North said, directing his response to include Sandy and the newly arrived Tooth.

"What's happened North?" Tooth asked, having caught the tail end of the exchange.

"Pitch is back," Jack answered instead, eliciting shocked and surprised reactions from the others. "We need to hurry and stop him."

North gave him a disapproving look for his impatient announcement. Jack couldn't stop himself from flinching slightly at the reprimand. While the alarm had detected dark activity, it would be folly to assume it was Pitch without further information.

"We do not know that for sure," North countered in a commanding voice. The confidence in his tone prevented the onset of the others' overreactions. "You can see that alarm has indicated dark activity in north part of Scotland but we have no way of knowing for sure if it is Pitch or some new darkness."

"It can't be Pitch, though, can it?" Tooth asked, nervousness and uncertainty clear in her voice. "I mean it's been less than a century since we last defeated him. Surely he couldn't have regained his powers so quickly."

"While that is true, Pitch has managed to surprise us before. The fact is I can think of no one else who it could be. Have any of you noticed anything unusual?" North countered, directing the question mostly to Sandy and Tooth who had more contact with the human world throughout the year.

Bunny remained silent while Tooth consulted with the four Baby Teeth that had accompanied her and Sandy shook his head negatively. Jack for his part tried to hold his tongue after the chastising North had given him earlier in his office. However, even after North's explanations Jack couldn't shake the feeling that there was something innately different and dangerous about the death spirit.

Several minutes passed waiting for Tooth to finish conversing with her fairies. In the end, she reported that none of her fairies had noticed anything out of the ordinary in the last few decades. Jack couldn't take it anymore. Even if North was right about Harry the others should still be informed of his existence and power.

"I met a spirit who could possibly be connected," Jack finally announced. Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth and her fairies all looked his way awaiting more details. However, North shot him such a disapproving and disappointed look that Jack nearly wished he could withdraw his statement. Too late for that now.

"He said his name is Harry. I met him just the other night in a little boy's hospital room. He has strange powers. I'm not sure what all he can do but one thing for sure is he said his purpose was to escort children across the realms when they die." His last sentence electing looks of shock from everyone but North including a gasp from Tooth.

"Let's not be too hasty," North said, "even if his purpose seems dark to us we may not have all the information."

"Are you kidding?" Bunny asked in disbelief. "There's a spirit out their hopping between realms and you honestly think he's not a threat?! You've been drinking too much hot chocolate, Mate. Any spirit with that kind of power cannot be trusted."

"Wait, wait," Tooth flew between North and Bunny, effectively cutting off their argument before it got out of hand. She then turned to Jack and asked, "you said this spirit's name is Harry." She had a nagging feeling of familiarity in the pit of her stomach but she needed more information to confirm her suspicions. "What else do you know of him?"

So Jack told them everything about the night he met Harry and all his suspicious he'd discussed with North.

XXXXXX

Darkness and pain, those were the only sensations Harry could register at the moment. It was strange to be surrounded by complete darkness when he could feel that his eyes were still open. The pain on the other hand was the bigger problem. It was unbearable to be sure but what was worse was that it was a pain he had experienced before. He could not recall exactly when or where he had felt this way but it inspired a deep fear that chilled him to his bones.

XXXXXX

Jack sighed in impatience. The other Guardians had been debating on what course of action they should take regarding the threat in northern Scotland for the past ten minutes. After Jack had finished telling them about Harry, Bunny of course was still skeptical about this new spirit but Tooth and Sandy had both dismissed Jack's concerns with more conviction than North. At that point, North had stepped in to draw their attention back to the original reason he had summoned them.

They were getting nowhere with all this discussion. That wasn't to say Jack considered it irrelevant or a waste of time in the wider view of things. However, right now, at this very moment, they had more important things to do. Every second spent in this ill-timed conversation was one more second that Pitch, or whatever darkness had arisen, had to make an escape.

"Enough!" he shouted, cutting off Bunny midsentence. Well now that he had their attention he'd best make his point before Bunny got on his case for the interruption. "We don't have time to keep arguing about what to do. Whatever caused the alarm to go off will be gone from the scene by the time we get there if we don't leave now. I'm going, with or without you." And with that, he leapt from the railing to the top of the globe and out of an open window in the skylight calling the wind to catch him. The others were soon to follow.

XXXXXX

It may have been due to fatigue or his wandering thoughts and subsequent inattention or a combination of both but Harry's defenses were down long enough that whatever was attacking him had gotten a hold. The agonizing sensation made him think of the searing pain of the _Cruciatus_ mixed with the dreadful, bone deep chilling suction of being nearly kissed by a Dementor. No matter what he tried, he couldn't push this strange force away. The cold sunk deep within him through his mouth and nose and down within his chest. Once there, it wrapped around a part of Harry's being and drew it out.

Harry began to panic. This was unlike any attack he'd ever faced. With the war against Voldemort, he'd become well acquainted with the feelings and effects of mind attacks. Despite his dismal achievements in Occlumency, he'd still managed to find his own way to evade the worst of the mental invasion. This, however, was something he didn't know how to defend against. He didn't know what the purpose of the attack was and therefore couldn't implement counter-measures. All he could do was ride out the pain and hope he came out of this in one piece.

XXXXXX

In the dark of his underground hideout, Pitch chuckled darkly as he absorbed Harry's trans-realm powers. He usually tried to avoid involving neutral parties in his coups to overthrow the Guardians because they had a bad habit of allying against him. This was an exception since taking Harry's powers over the Realm in-between would completely cripple the spirit and put him out of the game.

He first started taking notice of the new spirit once Harry had gotten control of his powers. He'd been able to feel a drastic decline in the fear of children about to die and soon after had figured out Harry's purpose and abilities. He hadn't been pleased to find one of his few remaining power sources being cut off. However, his anger soon turned to excitement as he considered the possibilities of such a power, when used properly, to cause greater fear instead of eliminating it.

He'd learned from his mistakes with trying to recruit Jack. Unlike his premeditated strike against Sandy, Jack hadn't been in his plans. He hadn't accounted for Jack to be a serious player in the game so all of his actions to win the snow spirit as an ally had been made on the fly. His misjudgment of MiM and Jack had been his downfall. He couldn't afford to risk losing again. It was much less of a hassle to just take what he wanted instead of having to deal with an unpredictable player.

Oh the things he could do with these abilities. The possibilities were endless. It was such a pity Harry Potter hadn't been around when he'd tried to take on the Guardians fifty years ago. No matter, he had the power now. The Guardians wouldn't know what hit them. Things were looking up.

XXXXXX

"You! I knew it!"

Harry looked up at the sound of the angry voice. He felt surprisingly much better than he expected after what had just happened. He had expected to feel like a black hole had opened in his chest and was going to consume him. Instead he felt drained, a little out of breath, and shaky. What he wouldn't give at that moment for a bite of chocolate.

He didn't have long to ponder his personal health as he pulled himself onto his feet. He barely had time to stand straight before he had to dodge a blast of frost. That was close. With his limbs aching worse than after a four-hour Quidditch practice with Wood, it had taken all of his reflexes to avoid being hit. He came out of the roll on his feet with the tree next to the lake between him and the enraged winter sprite. He called up the last of his magic to hastily cast the strongest shield he could on the tree as he got into position within a five-meter radius of it. He was too out of it to concentrate on maintaining a personal shield. By using the tree as the vessel, Harry only had to put in the initial power to sustain the shield so long as he stayed within range of its protection.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Tooth demanded as she and the others finally caught up. She was enraged by Jack's attack. It was completely impulsive and entirely uncalled for.

"It's him. He's the only spirit here. He's using Pitch's power." Jack accused.

"You saw him using Pitch's magic?" Tooth asked in surprise. There was no accusation or doubt in her tone, Jack noted, but there was an edge to it that he recognized. She was trying to use logic to make him realize how foolish he was acting. Well he was determined not to fall for it this time.

"I'm sorry but what are you talking about?" Harry asked from the safety of his shield before Jack could answer Tooth. He hadn't meant to be rude by interrupting their conversation but he wasn't about to stand aside while they talked about him as if he wasn't standing three-feet from them. Since he didn't trust the Snow Cone not to freeze him the second he got the chance, Harry could only get their attention verbally without leaving the zone protected by his shield. From here he was able to see and hear the motely crew of Guardians that had congregated on his doorstep. He recognized Jack, North, and, of course, Sandy from his previous meetings with them. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the six-foot rabbit was the Easter Bunny and that the brightly coloured one with the high-pitched voice and wings was the Tooth Fairy.

"North set up an early warning system to tell us when Pitch or his associates were causing evil. It just went off and led us here," Bunny calmly explained before Jack interjected.

"And you're the only spirit around so-"

"So what?" Harry interrupted Jack. "So that automatically makes me the bad guy. Where's your proof."

"You're standing right there that's all the proof I need." Jack retorted.

"Silence," North exclaimed, quieting Jack and Harry's arguments. Both stood with their attention on him, Jack's mouth still open ready to let fly his next accusation. "Let's talk about this civilly."

"Fine." Jack quickly closed his mouth and opted to stand with his arms crossed and a frown on his face to show what he really thought of North's idea. Harry privately thought that the pose made him look more like a pouting child. North watched Jack for a moment to ensure he'd hold his tongue before addressing Harry.

"Now Harry," North began, sounding to Harry as if they had all just sat down to tea to exchange pleasantries instead of standing outside on the grounds of Hogwarts in the middle of the night. "I know some of us are acquainted, yes, but we are not really knowing one another. Tell us, how did you become spirit?"

"Well it's a bit of a long story," Harry warned. When North only nodded, he proceeded to tell them the Cole's Notes version of his life.

"MiM prepared my for this, sort of. He told me about each of you: you histories, how you became Guardians, your conflicts with Pitch Black. He made sure I had some training and knew the roll I was to play." Harry explained to the assembled Guardians. He remembered his initial reaction to MiM's proposition and idly wondered what the Guardians thought of it.

_This was it? After all he'd done, all he'd fought for, and all he'd lost he still wasn't free? How could MiM do this to him? It was all he could do to keep from breaking down._

"_But I never asked for this," he protested. "All I ever wanted was to be myself, with people who love me. Just Harry," he said as calmly as he could with a lump in the back of his throat and tears pooling in his eyes._

"_That is why you are the best suited to the task. Do not be alarmed," MiM said a little hurriedly when he saw the panicked look start to creep into Harry's expression. "You will not be called upon to become a Guardian until you are needed."_

_Harry took a moment to collect himself before he registered the implications of what he had just been told. "But you at least suspect I will be needed in the near future. You just said you'd been planning for it almost my whole life." _

"_Yes, it is true. I think I will need to call on you sooner than I have the others. That is why I have arranged to train you. I am preparing you in a way that was not necessary with the others because you will have less time to get accustomed to you role."_

_Harry felt the constricting band around his lungs release with the panic. He could not be angry at MiM for conspiring against him in this way. Unlike Dumbledore and the Wizarding World, who all had made plans without his input, MiM was trying to do right by him. Even if MiM was withholding some information from him, he was giving Harry most of the main facts. More importantly, MiM was going to train him to be ready for what he had to do, not just pat him on the head and send him off to play expecting him to later pull a miracle out of his arse. Harry felt his respect for MiM deepen tenfold._

Sometime during his tale, everyone had made themselves comfortable. Sandy had fashioned himself a comfy looking chair from his dream sands, Bunny was sitting on his haunches, Jack was casually leaning on his staff, Tooth was somehow hovering in a reclined position midair with her wings, and North had seated himself cross-legged on the ground. Harry himself had needed to sit down with his back to the trunk of the tree just to keep himself upright.

"But Harry, what I don't understand is why you didn't come forward when you first met any of us," Tooth asked honestly. Harry was unable to find the light accusation in her tone offensive since he could clearly read from Tooth's mannerism that she genuinely cared about his well-being.

"MiM told me that he would teach me what I needed to know, but that when I woke I wouldn't remember how I'd learned it until such a time when the events around me triggered the memories," Harry replied calmly, as if MiM's explanation was the last word needed on the matter.

"That still does not explain what happened tonight. I for one do not think you are the evil that called us here but since you are the only one we have come across perhaps you have saw things," North subtly question. It was good to hear the reassurance that Harry had been chosen by MiM and was not a minion of Pitch but that left a bigger unknown of who then had been the one to trigger the alarm.

Harry lowered his head; in weariness or shame North could not tell. "I honestly have no clue. I came back here after the incident in Mexico where I met Jack only to be attacked from behind shortly there after."

"Attacked?" Tooth asked alarm. "Are you hurt?" She looked ready to mother him if he was, Harry though.

"That's the other thing. It was painful and I feel exhausted now but I can't tell you what exactly attacked me or what the attack was. I've never experienced anything like it before."

"Someone does not attack without reason," North said thoughtfully. Harry turned to him and nodded in agreement. A shared understanding amongst warriors passed between them. "If you were not attacked to debilitate you physically then you were targeted for something else. Take a moment. Do you feel different?"

Harry considered the suggestion. In all the kerfuffle with the arrival of the Guardians and Jack's almost immediate attack, Harry hadn't had a moment to fully assess his state. He closed his eyes and calmed his breathing as he took stock of himself. He was tired to be sure, that had been easily noticeable right away, but it was not just physical exhaustion. His magic was depleted, his thoughts were slow to focus, and he had a bit of a headache. He blamed his mental exhaustion on the fact that he had failed to notice that his spirit powers were almost nonexistent. Now that he was aware of its absence, he searched desperately to find any remaining evidence of it. All he could feel was a very soft pulse from what had formally been hundreds of pulls on his spirit alerting him to the children in need of his company.

"It's gone," Harry mumbled as he pulled out of his inner awareness. "I can't feel it anymore." It was impossible for him to believe that the weak pulse was all that was left of a power that had be overwhelming at times. He hadn't been too far off the mark when he'd compared the attack to that of the Dementor's kiss. He may not have lost his soul but his spirit was almost completely gone.

North and Tooth both reacted in shock and anger towards whoever was responsible for Harry's state.

"?" Sandy mimed with his sand. He was just as distressed as the others. However, being mute meant that the others often overlooked him. Harry answered him though as if he had spoken the question aloud.

"My spirit powers, the powers I have over the Realm in-between, they're gone," Harry clarified somberly. However his self-depressing train of thought was abruptly cut off by Jack's interjection.

"Oh come on guys!" Jack exclaimed with incredulity. "You can't honestly believe what he's saying? It's ridiculous!" He could not remain silent any longer. Jack was convinced there was no way Harry was telling the truth. The biggest indication was that nonsense about being trained by MiM. That couldn't have happened. There was no way Jack would believe that this spirit got special training when MiM had left Jack to fend for himself with nothing but his name for centuries.

"Jack! Show some compassion," Tooth reprimanded in a stage whisper, her anger inhibiting her ability to speak any more softly. Jack wasn't having any of it. He continued on as if he hadn't heard.

"Bunny, you haven't said anything since we arrived, help me out here," he implored, interpreting Bunny's silence up till this point as support for his cause.

"Sorry kid, no can do," Bunny replied.

"What do you mean? How can you of all spirits not suspect this guy? You gave me hell when I was called to be a Guardian but you take sides with an unknown without question?" Jack asked in disbelief. Of all the Guardians, he had expected Bunny to be his greatest ally in this argument. Now it was looking like he was on his own, again. The unintentional betrayal hurt more than Jack wanted to admit.

"I gave you hell because you were always a little shit with no interest in helping anyone but yourself."

"Easter of '68, again, will you never let that go?" Jack mumbled in exasperation.

"Besides," Bunny continued as if Jack hadn't spoken, "he's not an unknown."

"He's not?" Jack asked, looking at Bunny like he had never seen him before. North and Tooth, too, wore expressions of curiosity. Only Sandy was nodding his head in agreement.

"Nope. He's the Potter kid." This declaration was met by mixed reactions. The most notable of which was Harry Potter's expression of abject shock.

XXXXXX

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in updating everyone. I hope after this long wait that you like the chapter. Thank you for your patience and support. Reality caught me around Christmas time (I got a job and moved across the country) and this is the first chance I've had since to write again. It also helped that the RotG movie finally came out to own so I got a bit of re-inspiration in the story. I'm not going to say anything on when I expect to get the next chapter up because I honestly don't know. Please bear with me though.


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